I realized that I was fooling myself into thinking where I was on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.  

I kept thinking that I had met and satisfied my  physiological, safety, longing/belonging, and esteem needs. 

While some are met, the idea that I had the luxury of self-actualization without insuring the requisite needs is what could have been bothering me for most of my life. Scarier even, is that I am now seeing how it could be the root of so many of society’s current ills.

This thinking came after reading the article in the New York Times, In praise of mediocrity. My take away is that I (we ?) have fooled our selves into thinking we in the Western Civilization, have ascended to top levels of the hierarchy because we have “overcome the exigencies of brute survival.”

I have not.   I used to think so.   I am no where close. 

This is not even a case for the often mentioned mantra Hustle and Grind.  This is a call for the return to the basics.  To identify what my needs are as a human being and then solve the problems that in the way of those needs.

Time to go into survival mode.